Grand Final Preview

It all comes down to this. The Demons and the Bulldogs. A battle of two powerhouse teams with all the skill, ability and grit to take home the ultimate prize. Who will lift the trophy and be etched in history as the 2021 AFL premiers?

After a season of home games played away, fans and no fans, last-minute rescheduling and endless uncertainty, two Melbourne based teams are through to the Grand Final in Perth. The Sherrin will be bounced at 5:15pm in Perth (7:15pm AEST) to kick off what promises to be an absolute thriller.

Melbourne are as hungry as ever, looking for their first Premiership win in close to 60 years, their last being in 1964. Supporters will be confident their time is coming, with the likes of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in the middle, no team or occasion is too big to overcome. Clayton Oliver has had a remarkable season, as shown on Sunday night at the Brownlow, where he placed third. He is averaging 31 disposals for the season and has the ability to hit the scoreboard. Christian Petracca is another crucial component to the Dees. Averaging 28 disposals and a goal each game this season. Petracca is a big game, big moments player and the Grand Final is made for these types of players. Supporters will be looking to Petracca to burst through tackles and kick goals in moment points of the game, putting in a Norm Smith-worthy performance, to send Melbourne to victory. As a foundation for Petracca to light up the game, the Demons defence will need to stay as strong and dominant as they have all season. May and Lever will be looking to stop any forward entries and making the life of the Bulldogs forwards as difficult as possible with big intercept marking and relentless pressure.

The Western Bulldogs have bounced back hard from a rough patch before the finals and have put away some of the best teams in the league, including top contenders for the premiership, Port Adelaide. The Bulldogs have two players to almost perfectly match the two Melbourne midfield stars, Oliver and Petracca. Macrae and Bontempelli are as good as they come. Jack Macrae being an emphatic disposal getting averaging 34 disposals per game. Marcus Bontempelli averaging 26 disposals and a goal to match the likes of Christian Petracca. Bontempelli scored countless 3 votes games on Sunday nights Brownlow finishing second overall, arguably down to his ability to impact the game with vital plays and moments. A Bulldogs weapon that has developed over the finals campaign that may to crucial to success is Bailey Smith. Smith has had an electric finals series kicking 7 goals in the past two games and has found plenty of the ball while doing so. A 3 or 4 goal performance from a winger/midfielder is the type of performance that can win a player a Norm Smith Medal, and more importantly, win a team the premiership cup.

The Grand Final Game balls have been crafted and have made the trip across the country to Perth and are all set for the big game. Check out the below video of the balls in production.

All that’s left of an unpredictable yet incredible season of footy is one game. The question is, when the stage is set, the Sherrin’s are pumped, the boots are tied and the crowds are roaring, which team will rise to the occasion and be named the AFL Premiers of 2021?